Pebble smartwatch: So simple and just works.

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I don't wear a watch. Well, I didn't until just about 2 hours ago. I really have no interest in wearing a watch (aren't they mostly for fashion?), but this isn't just a watch, it's Pebble. 

If you've never heard of Pebble, it's an e-paper (think Kindle screen) watch that hooks up to your smartphone over Bluetooth.  Through this connection you can receive notifications, update the software, install new watch faces, etc. It's a simple idea that to date hasn't ever been done well. ​It can also be banged up and submerged in water, so you don't have to baby the thing. Back in May of 2012, Pebble became the largest Kickstarter campaign ever, ending up with over $10 million in funding. I found out about it when Gruber linked to it back in April, and backed the project for $115 - enough to get a black Pebble from the first lot. After a ton of delays, reneging on the promise of a holiday 2012 delivery, it finally arrived. ​

5 Minutes From Box To Wrist

After unboxing, I powered it on and was instructed to pair it over Bluetooth and go get the app. I used the iOS app - if you have an Android phone it's a completely different setup - and was immediately prompted to update Pebble's software.​​

Updizzling. The watch is actually black, I just haven't corrected the horrific white balance of the photo.

The app handles software updates, watch face downloads, and eventually native Pebble apps. The only other setup that had to be done was to switch on notifications in iOS bluetooth settings for this device. After this 5 minute setup (mostly spent updating the software), it was ready to go.​

iMessage notification

iMessage notifications are delivered to this guy at the same time as they appear on the phone. You get a little buzz for each one as well, since Pebble supports vibration. It's important to note that your wrist isn't vibrating like crazy when you're texting back and forth - it only gets a notification and a buzz when your screen is locked or you're in another app. With one button press the message is dismissed and you're back to looking at the watch face. ​You can have other apps direct their notifications at Pebble as well, but this is the only one i'm interested in for now.

What I found most useful about receiving notifications here, almost immediately, was that I don't have to carry my phone around with me at home in case I get a message. As long as you're within bluetooth range of your phone, you'll get the message. It's great!​

"Simplicity" watch face.​

There are three built-in watchfaces: An analog dial and two that tell the time in words. I ended up using one downloaded from the app called Simplicity. ​My only complaint is that it uses 24 hour time and that my brain does not. It appears that the watch faces use 12 or 24 hour time, but not both. Over time, more will be added and the perfect one may just appear one day. For now, I'll accept the minor mental math penalty in favor of having the date visible all the time. That's going to be hugely helpful; I never know what day it is.

First impressions:​

  • It's not hideous, as one would expect a smartwatch to be, and the screen is easy to read without a backlight
  • The interface is simple and fast
  • The relatively low resolution e-paper display is just fine - no complaints, ok at non-retina resolution
  • The app is super simple: Updating the software, adding watchfaces, and configuring Pebble went without a hitch and was self explanatory.​
  • I love getting SMS notifications on my wrist
  • Deep thought: Looking at your wrist for the time requires less energy than reaching in your pocket for a phone
  • I've played with every feature (there are few, so that was easy) and have found it to be neither buggy nor laggy. It's responsive, the menus aren't very deep, and the buttons feel good. What else can you ask for?​

I'll have more to say about it in the coming weeks, but I'm very happy with it so far. Battery life is of course a big concern, but from what I've read and from what they claim it's excellent. You can thank that great e-paper screen that uses very little power.

I think it's safe to say that the smartwatch has arrived... and we're just getting started.​

​If you want to buy one, you can preorder one in various colors for $150. And if you want to learn more about Pebble, Nilay Patel at the verge did an amazing review of it, and I've embedded the video below. ​

Comcast upgrades my broadband speed on the cheap

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This summer I cancelled my cable TV and VoIP phone service (I never even had a phone plugged in, nor knew the number) and haven't looked back. Recently, Comcast has been snail-mail-spamming me with letters claiming to have 'IMPORTANT ACCOUNT INFORMATION INSIDE' ​but instead they contain offers for me to get their VoIP phone service and 1000 TV channels. No. NO. I don't want TV or a ridiculous land line phone. Stop.

​I got a call earlier this week from Comcast, and nearly cut the guy off to say I wasn't interested in whatever ULTRA SUPER TRIPLE PLAY package they were peddling, but instead listened like a gentleman. I'm really glad I did. For $5/month extra, bringing my $65/month service to $70/month, they were offering to increase my upstream and downstream internet speeds from 25MBps up / 5MBps down to 50 up and 10 down. SOLD. They call the tier of this service 'Blast!'. In addition to this, I get HBO and some other stuff I don't remember. Fine! The service just got upgraded today, check it out:​

​Before...  (source: speedtest.net)

​After!!!  (source: speedtest.net)

Before, I was getting slightly less than the advertised speeds. Now my advertised speeds have ​doubled and i'm getting more than advertised. And the difference is tangible too: when I open Chrome with my 6 default tabs all loading at once, they've all loaded even before I get a chance to click one. It looks like the limiting factor is now Chrome rendering the page. Everything seems faster. This will also improve my Dropbox and Google Drive speeds as well as iTunes downloads. It is a delight.

What I find interesting about this, is that Comcast is clearly going out of their way to squeeze more dollars specifically out of cord cutters. The guy on the phone did not try to up-sell me on any non-internet services, specifically pointed out that I can watch HBO on a tablet or computer, and even went so far as to tell me to just go put the cable box they send me in a closet somewhere. It was well understood, even before they called, that I wasn't going to be interested in these things. I think that's a smart move on their part. After the year is up, it is unlikely that I'd maintain any of the TV content that's bundled in, but it's very likely that I'd suck it up and pay more to maintain the speed of this broadband connection. Well played.​

Gruber's take on Google Glass

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This is John Gruber's hilariously profane take on Google's Sergey Brin discussing Google Glass, while wearing one, at a recent TED talk. I love the title: "Sergey Brin, With a Computer Strapped to His Head, Covering One of His Eyes, Tells TED Audience Smartphones Are 'Emasculating'"

Look at the fucking picture of him up there. We’re taking advice on cool from this guy? Seriously?
I can see the argument that dicking around with our phones in public is not cool, that we should pay more attention to our companions and surroundings, and less to our computer displays. Strapping a computer display to your face is not the answer.

​I'm usually in agreement with Gruber on most things, but I think he's not giving Google Glass a fair shake. Until you strap one of these computers to your very own face, how can you really say if this makes you more or less connected to real life? Done right, this thing could be a convenient augmentation to daily life, and it's already less noticeable than most Bluetooth headsets. 

If you're interested in Google Glass, check out this great piece and the awesome video below by Josh Topolski at The Verge:

I'd wear an iWatch

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The idea of a smart, connected watch really resonates with me.  ​I ordered a Pebble many months ago when the Kickstarter campaign was live (it should arrive any day/week/month now...) and cannot wait to start getting notifications on my wrist. The Pebble has long battery life, and according to the reviews, just works. This is exactly what want from and expect of Apple, and it looks like they're going to produce an iOS based one this year, as reported by The Verge.

Apple's betting on iOS, but battery life is a challenge. That's apparently leading to battery life issues in development, according to our sources: the goal is to last at least 4-5 days between charges, but the current watch prototypes are apparently only going for a couple days max. We're also told Apple has some work to do with iOS on the iPhone, which currently has several hooks for supporting a watch-like device but lacks the appropriate interface or settings to make it work properly.

These guys won't just throw one together, they'll stress out and finess this thing for as long as it takes. The good news is that it seems to be pretty far along in development and is getting a lot of attention internally.

This also makes me wonder if killing off the phone sized iPod nano ​was related. As the title of this article suggests, they may have 'sidestepped a smartwatch revolution' by killing off the watch sized Nano, but it sounds like iOS today still isn't fully ready to integrate as deeply with a watch as is necessary. If they couldn't do it right, they didn't do it at all. Let's hope they figure out how to do it right before Christmas.

Update: iOS 6 Maps Still Can't Find My Starbucks

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​I complained and submitted corrections back when iOS 6 came out that Apple's built in maps application was incorrectly placing my local Starbucks on its maps, preventing Passbook from popping up automatically when I arrive to make a withdrawal  Whelp, it's been about 5 months and they haven't corrected this issue. Google, however, in their native maps application that came out since my last writing, has improved since I last checked with the web app and finds it correctly every time.

​Although many of the major issues with Apple's maps have been fixed, it's clear that many less frequented areas haven't got much attention yet. 

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​Apple maps still has it wrong, whether I search for the exact address or just Starbucks in general.

​Googles native iOS app locates it correctly by either a general search for Starbucks or typing in the address directly.